Fresh back from a week plus one day of fall break, the McDuffie County Board of Education is now preparing the calendar for the 2007-08 school year. Superintendent Mark Petersen is requesting input from parents, students, teachers, staff, businesses and citizens in prioritizing the dates.

A survey is on the McDuffie Board of Education website in which anyone may participate. The survey tells what stipulations are required when making the school calendar, then gives multiple-choice questions.

"We need to get our calendar set up so people can get their vacations and everything else planned," Dr. Petersen said. "I've heard nothing but good things about this week off (for fall break)."

To read or participate in the survey, go to www.mcduffie.k12.ga.us and click on the calendar survey under "quick links" in the left column.

Also featured on the site is a survey about computer use among local households. The survey was sent home with report cards on Oct. 12. At the annual school board planning retreat, discussion was held about making computers available in the community for all parents to use. The survey is to help the board understand the need and probability of this new idea.

"We are just kind of seeing what we've got out there," Dr. Petersen said.